The Original Rainbow Factory By Aurora Dawn
by Writer1000
Summary: The original Rainbow Factory, if you didn't know yet. I've organized them into chapters, which are posted weekly. Keep in mind that this is rated M.
1. Chapter 1: The Flight Test

_**WARNING: This is a violent story, including curse words and other inappropriate content. Also, the ending of this is unbelievable. If you cannot handle or hate these topics, I'd suggest you leave this story. Don't say I didn't warn you! It's rated M for a reason. All rights go to Aurora Dawn. I've made a few improvements here and there, for I am going to sort them into chapters, but most of it is the original content. Start reading...if you dare! **_

**Introduction:**

There's long been rumors as to how, exactly, rainbows are made in Equestria. While a great amount of Pegasi ponies are employed in the Rainbow department of the weather factory, almost all of them do the low-end work. What's known is that the great streams of Spectra, the individual colors of the rainbow, flow through large grates and into vast vats. From there, workers carefully and equally mix the Spectra into the coagulated rainbow pools that dot and run through the factory, and surrounding the city. Next, that mixture is pumped to the floor below, where other emplyees atomize it and store it, until the active weather Pegasi deploy it in field. However, no one knows how individual Spectra is made. Supplies are never seen being brought in, leaving not eve a clue of what goes into a rainbow. Tourists, while visiting the factory, are treated to an extremely foreboding and plain wall, with massive, solid doors baring entry to any pony at any time. While most of the facility's various signs and achitecture is bubbly and welcoming, the Rainbow Factory's upper floor ws protected by harsh imagery of potential hzards and death, and the cloud wall was not made out of the clean white of the rest of the city, but of a black, quietly thundering fog. To become an employee of the upper Rainbow Factory meant sacrificing any life outside those black walls. Workers are sworn to secrecy and forbidden from leaving, and live inside the facility itself. Those few who ever managed to make it out not in a body bag were twisted and disturbed, too damaged to ever bring themselves to talk about it. A lot of theories were proposed; dark magic from captured unicorns, chemicals, and environmental hazards that no sane pony would tolerate, and even thoughts of another unknown sister of Celestia's, destined to create the Spectra instead of raise a sun or moon.

None of them could be farther than the truth...you'd better read to find out about the actual procedure.

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Flight Test**

"C'mon, Orion! We're gonna be late for our final test!" Scootaloo called to a friend of hers.

She was older, now, in her last year of flight school. She, like all other Pegasi in the school, was terribly nervous of the final test. Those that have passed were granted freedom into the world, to find their cutie marks if they haven't yet, and become working ponies.

A little known, or at least a little "thought-about" fact, was of what happened to the fillies that failed their test. While uncommon, one or two from every class generally didn't have it in them to perform the rigorious acts and maneuvers. Those that failed their tests were looked down upon in the worst of ways; shunned and hated. Cloudsdale had always bred a form of nationalism amongst it's occupants. If you weren't the best, or didn't show the potential of being the greatest, you weren't allowed to be part of the "glorious collective".

Scootaloo moved a little to the side as Orion, a tall yet fairly skinny pony, settled next to her. He fluffed his light brown feathers, and gave a worried attempt at a smile as he stared around where he had sat.

They were sitting in the large, open waiting room, onlooking the coliseum, with all the other graduating Pegasi. Just visible in the distance was the factory. Orion glanced at it, and gulped.

"What's the matter Orion?" Scootaloo inquired. "You afraid of getting a dead end job on the snow line?" Orion chuckled a bit, then closed his eyes and sighed. "No...it's just...I don't know. I don't think I can do this. What if I fail? What if I _don't _fail, but do just bad enough to still be disliked by everyone? I don't know if I can take being deported. Where do we even go anyways?"

Scootaloo gave Orion a friendly punch. "No one knows, you dolt. And we're not going to fail. Everyone here is going to be fine. I know I will at least pass," she laughed. "Thanks to the tips from Rainbow Dash, I'm sure to be fine."

"Oh, yeah, sure. That reassures me. That's actually just as, if not even more reassuring, than the psychopathic hate every pony here seems to love to spread." Orion said.

"Quit panicking, scaredy-wings," Scootaloo replied. "The only one here I think even might fail is that yellow pony with that dark green mane. She's the one who was out sick for that month, you know.

"Oh, yeah," Orion remembered as he craned his head in the other pony's direction. "The one who had that bad case of hoof and wing. She looks pretty confident though."

"I suppose we'll see," Scootaloo trailed, turning to look at The Factory herself. It gave her chills, not of fear, but pride. "I hope I get some cool active weather job. Can you imagine? Everyone in Ponyville of Fillydelphia staring up at me, going 'There goes Scootaloo! Such an amazing flier! And from Cloudsdale, there can be no doubt!'" She smiled in excitement, forgetting her tension for a moment.

"That would be something, I admit. Mind you, just coming from Cloudsdale...who wouldn't be in awe?" Orion pointed out.

"Exactly" Scootaloo agreed. "Praise the Flock."

"Praise the Flock," Orion followed along.

"Places, places, every pony." A massive, buff Pegasus walked towards the entrance to the coliseum. "We're doing to do this by name. Your adjudicators are on the east side of the field. Do not, I repeat, _do not,_ fly too far west. If they lose sight of you for any reason, you'll be failed, immediately. Take deep breaths. Stretch your wings one last time. The test will consist of three sections. Weather clearing, agility, and finally recovery. Clear the clouds, fly through the hoops, and then fly to the marked elevation. Close your wings for at least three seconds. Any less and you'll fail, but keep in mind there's no "extra points" for extra seconds. Finally, recover before you hit the cloud floor. Understood? Any questions?"

The instructor paused, and carefully glanced ay every single pony in the room. Every ponies' eyes were completely focused on him, and none were creased with confusion. "Alright. Aurora Dawn. You're up first. Clear, fly, fall, complete."

The yellow pony nodded and walked quickly up to the starting ramp with purpose. She stared at the watching judges, waited for a nod from all three, and then took off with a powerful force. The ramp bounced slightly from the force of the take-off. Every pony watched as Aurora quickly reached the starting altitude, and then began a direct and purposeful attack on the positioned clouds. With expert timing and intelligent angles, the sky was soon empty of any moisture.

Scootaloo and Orion watched with open mouths as they watched the first testee pull fast and tight turns, expertly shooting dead center through each and every hoop. Finally, Aurora pulled herself up to the proper altitude, hovered, and closed her wings.

The group of students gasped as she started plummeting, down towards the clouds, and counted breathlessly. One...two...three. They sighed as they watched her wings open in the correct amount of time, collectively holding that relief.

Suddenly, Aurora's wings whipped upwards, and the group of students flinched in horror as they all heard the loud, hollow snap, only to be suddenly replaced by an unending, piercing scream. Many, like Orion, shielded their eyes with their wings, as others like Scootaloo could only watch, terrified, as the blur of yellow, green, and red plummeted into a cloud with a dull thump.


	2. Chapter 2: Failure

_**Where we last left off, Scootaloo and Orion were watching the other testees preform in the flying course. Then, a contestant named Aurora Dawn encounters an enormous accident, which is very terrifying. What shall happen next?**_

* * *

**Chapter 2: Failure  
**

Scootaloo and Orion stared slack-jawed, as another pony gulped, than walked forwards onto the path and took off. They turned back to the tuft on the cloud where Aurora landed and stared. As the wind blew the fragments that were thrown up from the collision away, they saw the shivering yellow body attempt to move, only to collapse with a cry.

"Faraday Spots. Clear, fly, fall, complete," the instructor plainly said with no care of what horrible thing had happened to Aurora.

Aurora still struggled to walk, wailing with every step. Her legs weren't broken, she could use them fine, but it was obvious the pain from her wing joints and the loss of her potential life was crushing her. Scootaloo felt Orion shuffle uneasily, tears welling in his eyes as a frown formed on his face.

"Holiday Shine. Clear, fly, fall, complete," the instructor called to another pegasus.

"No one's coming to help her," Orion seethed through closed teeth.

Scootaloo felt extremely sad for the yellow Pegasus, but couldn't see herself helping her. She would be failed herself and sent away, far away from Cloudsdale and any familiar place on Equestria, to a place where she and any other failed students could never stain Cloudsdale's reputation. It was a terrible shame, but Scootaloo couldn't fail herself. She couldn't fail her friends, and she definitely couldn't fail Rainbow Dash. Not after the care and help she had given her Scootaloo's whole life. Scootaloo blinked the tears from her eyes, and forced herself to watch the competing students. One after another took off, successfully passed the test, and flew to the east gate, under the judges' spot in the stands. That's all Scootaloo focused on. Pass the test. Fly to the gate. Live a happy life.

"Orion Solstice. Clear, fly, fall, complete," the instructor commanded.

"...No," Orion shivered.

"What?" The instructor took a step back, one leg left raised in the air. "You can't just _refuse_ your flight test. Get out there before you piss the judges off."

"No. D-Don't even pretend you care about my future if you don't care about hers," Orion defied, unsure about himself. "You say you want me to get a good life, and yet you let those that fail suffer unbearable pain."

"Get the fuck onto that field before I fail you myself," the instructor shouted menacingly.

"Fine," Orion spoke sharply, before walking onto the ramp. He stared at the judges, waited for the individual nods, and the second they came he took off. However, long before the starting altitude, he turned sharply and landed gently next to Aurora. She turned and looked at him, blood running down her forehead and sides, and tears streamed down her face.

"Wh...what are you doing? You'll fail, like me. You'll be exiled." Aurora sputtered mournfully.

"I'd rather be exiled from a place that treats ponies like this than live my life while others don't live theirs." Orion confidently stated.

Aurora smiled, happiness briefly replacing her sadness in her blackened, puffy eyes, until she stumbled again and intense pain flashed across her body. Orion leaned in close, using his wing to brace the yellow pony against himself. He stared up at the judges, beaming hate with his vision. They stared down, unaffected, and simply pointed down, before looking back towards the ramp for the next contestant.

Scootaloo stood shocked, hardly hearing her name called. She moved numbly up the ramp, never taking her eyes off her friend and the pony he sacrificed himself to help. After a brief moment, she shook her head, recovered her thoughts, and looked to the judges. Thoughts passed through her head as she watched them all nod.

_Oh, Celestia. What do I do? I can't let everyone I know down... but, I'll never see Orion again...I suppose...I hope he knew that risk when he did that. I'm sure he's thinking the same right now._ Scootaloo wondered anxiously.

She glanced at Orion. He wasn't looking at her. She took off, heartbroken. Instinct kicked in as the familiar rush of wind cooled her and blew her thoughts away. She stopped at the right altitude, and then launched again, sensing and seeing every cloud, formulating a game plan. In a matter of a couple dozen seconds, the sky was clear. She did a quick loop in mid-flight, aiming at the first hoop. With a powerful flash of her wings, she propelled forward through the first ring. And then the second, and then the third, expertly turning and drifting. She curved in towards the second last ring, near the bottom of the field. As she descended, she caught sight of Orion and Aurora, almost at the west gate now. Orion turned his head, and smiled weakly.

Scootaloo's focus shattered. Orion knew what he did. He cared about her. He'd miss her, and he'd never get to say goodbye.

Scootaloo cranked into the bottom part of the ring, falling backwards several feet and hitting the ground. With a sudden intense flash of fear, she flipped herself onto her feet and began flapping her wings, levitating off the ground._ Maybe that didn't count as a failure_, she thought. _I can still fly._ There was a distraction on the field. She spun around to the judges.

Three hooves, pointed down.

Scootaloo started crying there, tears welling up and blurring her vision. This wasn't right. This shouldn't have happened. None of it. Orion should have passed his test, and cheered her on from the east gate. She shouldn't have looked at him, she should have focused on flying. But there was no room for excuses. Defeated, she slowly hovered towards Orion, and settled down next to him. She looked at him through her purple eyes. He looked back, offering a smile.

"You did a good job." Orion tried to cheer her.

Scootaloo dropped her head and sobbed. She then walked around Orion, lifted a wing of her own, and helped Aurora walk to the west gate. Before them stood a long, unlit hall, with only a cheap sign stuck to the wall, notifying 'test failees' to proceed down the hall. They waited, only briefly, to gather themselves and prepare for where they would be taken, and then all stepped forward together.

Against an empty carriage at the end the lonely hall were three imposing ponies, leaning in a disinterested and bored pose. One of them happened to look up as the sorry looking trio stumbled out into the open. They were on the bottom edge of the coliseum, with the vast rolling hills and plains of Equestria visible far below.


End file.
